Autoimmune diseases and leukemia – two seemingly distinct conditions – might have more in common than we previously thought.
These illnesses occur when our body’s natural defenses go awry, and a new study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research suggests they might share a common culprit – ‘rogue’ immune cells.
Linking Leukemia and Autoimmune Diseases
Scientists have noticed that people with leukemia often develop an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis or aplastic anemia.
So what’s the connection? It seems that certain immune cells, known as killer T cells, play a crucial role in both conditions.
What Are Killer T Cells?
Killer T cells are the body’s defenders, targeting and destroying harmful cells and pathogens.
But when certain gene variations come into play, these protective cells can turn against the body, going ‘rogue’ and attacking its own cells.
Investigating the Rogue Elements
In this study, the researchers used high-resolution screening methods to examine blood from children with rare inherited autoimmune diseases.
They also used CRISPR/Cas9, a powerful genome editing tool, to study the effects of genetic alterations on a protein called STAT3 in mouse models.
STAT3 is found throughout the body and is critical for various cellular functions, including controlling immune system’s B and T cells.
Going Rogue: The Consequences
When STAT3 proteins are altered, they can send the killer T cells into overdrive, creating enlarged ‘rogue’ cells that bypass immune checkpoints to attack the body’s own cells.
Alarmingly, even if just 1-2% of a person’s T cells go rogue, it could result in an autoimmune disease.
A New Direction for Treatment
This discovery could lead to more precise targeting of medications, such as the already approved JAK inhibitors.
In addition, this research may help develop screening technologies that clinicians could use to sequence the complete genome of every cell in a blood sample, helping identify which cells might turn rogue and cause disease.
The research team, led by Dr. Etienne Masle-Farquhar, also found two specific receptor systems linked to stress. The study was published in the journal Immunity.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and this plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
